Stone Village, Zhong Family
Xiaoxiao was still in the bath barrel, her eyes tightly shut, motionless, truly a state resembling a living dead.
Yang Ming, having learned the truth, no longer collapsed into tears as before. He just wanted to quietly accompany his wife until she left.
He continually warmed her with hot water, sitting next to the bath barrel and talking to her.
"Wife, make sure to eat well when you go back, and absolutely don’t starve yourself."
"If something happens, don’t be anxious. You tend to get overheated when you are worried, and don’t faint again."
"Life’s work isn’t done in a day, so please don’t push yourself too hard."
"Without me by your side, you must take good care of yourself."
"Don’t start fights with people over nothing, no matter what, you’re still a woman, we can’t afford the immediate losses."
"Remember to sleep early."
"I don’t know if you can still remember me, but now I hope you can forget. That way, you won’t suffer like I am."
When Xiaoxiao’s soul was transferred, she heard Yang Ming talking endlessly like an old mother, each word piercing her heart.
This separation had deeply made her realize that she loved him more than she had thought, and it also made her see that he, indeed, loved her more than she had imagined.
This separation felt as long as a century, suffocatingly long; at last, she was back, and she would never have to part from him again.
She quickly opened her eyes and saw her haggard husband, which made her heart ache.
Without thinking, Xiaoxiao stood up with a splash.
At that moment, Yang Ming was astonishingly shocked. Was this not a dream? Was his wife really back? He was both shocked and delighted.
"Wife, you’re back? Are you? You’re back?"
Yang Ming was somewhat excited, his speech almost incoherent. He feared that all of this was a dream. He was truly frightened because the more he hoped, the more he feared disappointment.
"Yes, husband, I’m back." Xiaoxiao’s eyes were filled with tears as she lifted her small face but smiled at Yang Ming. She too was terrified of leaving him forever. Luckily, she was back.
"Then, are you leaving again?" Yang Ming asked with joy yet uncertainty.
"I’ll never leave again; we can be together forever." Xiaoxiao’s small head pressed tightly against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, her heart also pounding wildly.
Hearing this, Yang Ming was overjoyed. His eyes reddened, and his shoulders trembled slightly. Excited, he wanted to cry again, "Wife, it’s so great that you’re back, it’s truly wonderful that you’re not leaving, really, really, it’s so wonderful..."
Yang Ming repeated these words, and his head slowly drooped down, resting on Xiaoxiao’s shoulder, his body also began to sink, as if he were about to collapse.
"Husband, what’s the matter? What’s wrong, get up." Xiaoxiao cried out loudly upon seeing this.
Having become a living dead had been too much for him. Could it be that his brother’s beating was finally too much for him to bear?
She was terrified something might happen to him; she didn’t want anything to happen to him.
She still had so many things to talk to him about, to share with him about her experience inside the bracelet, to tell him how much she loved him.
To tell him that she saw how much he loved her.
To tell him that she couldn’t live without him...